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Cold Reading / Audition Technique

to establish a path of approach to any character within the usual (very short) time of preparation for the audition;

to guide the actors into acknowledging and presenting their greatest individual strengths within the limited timeframe of an audition session;

to expand the range of characters within the actor’s reach;

to make individual recommendations for future training;

The actor is given 30 minutes to prepare on a text chosen by the instructor. The training process starts with a review of the technical requirements for an audition session that have or have not been met during the presentation. The actor is then guided through the basic questions that must be answered in regards to understanding the role. Through “creative investigation” the actor is provoked to find his/her common grounds with the character in order to emotionally connect with the part.

The result is often tested through improvisation on the material. Taking into consideration the actor’s individuality revealed through the text the instructor suggests inner stimuli and outer means aimed at expanding and enriching the range of characters the actor is likely to get cast in. The analysis concludes with laying out the imperfections the actor should work on overcoming in his future training. Periodically casting agents and industry professionals are being invited to share their views on the casting process.